The drafted National Strategy on Sustainable Tourism with its aim to mainstream sustainability into the tourism sector, focuses on promoting environmental sustainability, protecting biodiversity, promoting economic sustainability, and promoting socio-cultural sustainability. It has identified Adventure Tourism as one of the important segments to play a pivotal role in promoting sustainable tourism.
What has spurred on this envisaged potential of Adventure tourism in India, is its burgeoning growth worldwide, resulting in the discovery and development of destinations hitherto not always a part of tourist itineraries.
In order to provide impetus to the development of adventure tourism in the country, the National Strategy for Adventure Tourism focuses on developing adventure destinations, promoting safety in adventure tourism, skill development, capacity building, and marketing.
This allows for new destinations to market themselves as truly unique, appealing to those travellers looking for rare, incomparable experiences.
Adventure tourism is a niche segment in the country’s travel industry, in which travel involves some degree of risk (real or perceived), and may require special skills and physical effort. Adventure tourism can be any tourism activity that includes physical activity, cultural exchange, and connection with nature.
Adventure tourism experiences can fall under two categories: hard adventure and soft adventure. But both incorporate and promote the core values of sustainable tourism. The value-add of adventure tourism is that attracts visitors outside of peak season, highlights the natural and cultural values of a destination, thereby promoting its preservation, and creates resilient and committed travellers.
Another major attraction for developing Adventure tourism in the country is that it attracts high-value customers and supports local economies. A significant imperative for adventure tourism practitioners is that they encourage sustainable tourism because, without a pristine natural environment and meaningful cultural experiences, adventure tourism will get little support or even exist.
Adventure tourism involves travel experiences that include at least two of the following three elements: physical activity, natural environment, and cultural immersion.
Hard adventure activities involve a high level of risk, a greater level of expertise, physical and mental fitness, skills, training, and experience. Soft adventure activities are perceived as recreational and fun as they involve less risk.
The vision of the National Strategy for Adventure Tourism is to position India as a preferred destination for adventure tourism globally. Its mission to make this a reality is to develop an enabling ecosystem for the growth of adventure tourism in the country and create synergies amongst the Central Government, State Governments, Private Sector, and local communities, for the development of adventure tourism.
The enabling environment for adventure tourism encompasses many interrelated factors that affect the success of sustainable and responsible adventure tourism in the country or the State:
(i). Adventure tourism in any area must be developed in consultation with the local community and mechanism to seek social legitimacy, credibility and trust of the community must be set out.
(ii). The strategy should prioritize adventure tourism by proposing investment in research on target adventure markets, adventure trends, and products with potential and encourage public-private partnerships.
(iii). The strategy must ensure compliance and strict enforcement of regulations regarding safety and service standards.
(iv). Adventure destinations need policies that prioritize the type of infrastructure valued by adventure tourists such as signage, good guide training, and clean trails.
(v). A destination that is not well connected loses competitiveness. Adventure opportunities need to be showcased online and easily bookable. Destinations benefit when tourists share their experiences in real time.
(vi). Price competitiveness of the destination is of paramount importance unless it is offering something unique and that must be communicated to the consumers.
Adventure tourism is one of the main attractions of Northeast India, offering visitors an opportunity to experience the region’s rugged terrain, diverse flora and fauna, and unique cultural traditions. The Ministry of Development of North East Region can help accelerate the development of adventure tourism in the region.
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